With time running down, the lame duck Ohio House of Representatives and Senate passed a number of bills late this month.   

Most notably, the General Assembly passed:  

- Save havens law change (SB 342). This legislation extends the window of time a parent may anonymously surrender a newborn from three days to 30 days. It also includes a provision requiring the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to formulate a plan to educate at-risk populations about the law. 

The intent of safe havens laws is to prevent an unprepared new parent from potentially inflicting harm on an infant. While still within the 30 day window, a parent may relinquish a newborn at any safe haven location (hospital, law enforcement, etc) without facing legal consequences. 

- Adoption reform (HB 7): This bill eliminates barriers to placing children in permanent homes, streamlines the adoption process and promotes “adoption as an option” education. Adoption and child welfare advocates have been working for nearly two years to craft this legislation and its passage is seen as a major victory for children waiting for permanency. 

-Database searches penalties (HB 648): This legislation was introduced after it was discovered that Ohio Department of Job and Family Services employees had improperly accessed the government records of Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher (a.k.a. Joe the Plumber).   

The bill creates civil and criminal penalties for inappropriate use of state databases and requires state agencies to adopt policies governing access to confidential personal information. It was amended to exempt county agencies in order to ensure that day-to-day operations are not hindered. 

Each of these bills await Gov. Ted Strickland’s signature. It appears likely he will sign all three into law. 

Also of note, proposed legislation aimed at tightening Ohio’s child care laws died in the final days. The bill would have required privately-funded child care providers who care for 3-6 children to become licensed. To be reconsidered, it will have to be introduced again next session.